Week 18 - Bed Rest, Blood Clots & Lemon Stalls

As we know, I’m recovering from surgery, so Week 18 was not exactly wild.

Unless you count lying in bed, being swollen, working from a laptop and having children visit me like I’m a zoo exhibit.

Which honestly, kind of checks out.

Monday morning started with me weighing myself, and I weighed 71kg.

The day I went into hospital, I weighed 66.5kg.

Is that not crazy?

Obviously that is not fat. That is inflammation, fluid, swelling, surgery trauma and my body basically screaming, “what the hell just happened?”

But even when you know that logically, it can still mess with your head a little bit.

That is why I’m not recording any of this as actual progress data right now. Recovery from major surgery, sickness, inflammation, stress and all of those things can really, really fuck with your weight and your mind.

So I’m reminding myself that in a few weeks, I’ll be back to normal. I’ll be able to train again, the swelling will settle, and this will just be a distant memory.

Anyway, after that little scale experience, Monday breakfast was the overnight Weet-Bix I made on Sunday night.

Nola had some too and loved it.

Rocky did not like it.

Because of course he didn’t.

After I woke up, Arlo joined me in bed and we watched a little bit of TV together, which was very cute.

My mum had taken the day off work because I had a post-op appointment in Sydney, and she came over with a little gift bag full of my favourite things.

She’s the best.

Then we set off on our drive.

Lake George was really full of water, which was actually so nice to see, and I worked on my laptop in the car because apparently even post-surgery Casey is still going to be working from wherever she can.

It was a beautiful day in Sydney.

There was also a circus driving next to us at one point.

Lots of camels.

Very normal highway behaviour.

Anyway, the appointment went well, and we got home around 3:30pm. I pretty much hopped straight into bed because that was more than enough activity for one day.

Tuesday morning, Mum came back over and dropped the kids to school for me.

Again, she’s the best.

I spent most of the day in bed, doing lots of work on my laptop and reading my book.

I’m on book four of the Throne of Glass series, which is Queen of Shadows.

It was quite cold at home on Tuesday morning, so I was tucked up in bed with the fire on, living my full recovery hermit life.

Tuesday night I did sit out with the family while they had dinner, which was really nice.

The kids have been visiting me in bed a lot too, which is very sweet.

Sometimes peaceful.

Sometimes not.

Wednesday was pretty much the same deal.

Mum came over again and dropped the kids to school, and I spent the day working, reading and resting.

Our team meeting was just Wesley and I before the support call, and then Wednesday night was my brother-in-law’s 40th birthday.

Jason and the kids went out for dinner, and I stayed home in bed.

Very glamorous.

I did still make sure I got some steps in each day, whether that was around the house or a little bit outside.

I’m very swollen, so gentle walking is meant to help, and I’ve been trying to do what I can without overdoing it.

Thursday, Mum came over again and dropped the kids to school.

Honestly, this week was basically brought to you by my mum.

I also went to the doctor because my forearm was really sore, and it turns out I have a superficial blood clot from where the cannula was.

Very fun.

The good news is that it’s low risk, no one is worried, and it should clear by itself.

Still, not exactly the kind of souvenir I wanted from surgery.

Thursday night, Arlo stayed at my mother-in-law’s house, which was actually so helpful.

She usually comes to our house on Fridays to look after him, but since I was still laying in bed, it was much easier for him to stay there. I’m sure if he was home, he would have wanted to come in and harass me every two seconds.

Lovingly, of course.

Friday, one of the kids’ friend’s mums picked them up for school, and I went for an ultrasound to check the blood clot.

I had been cleared to drive short distances, so I drove myself to the scan.

The ultrasound confirmed the clot, but like I said, it’s low risk and should clear on its own. It was actually already starting to feel better, which was reassuring.

Since I was already out, I also got a car wash because after driving to Sydney with Mum, my car was absolutely covered in bugs.

Recovery, but make it productive.

Friday afternoon, Jason headed off for a boys’ weekend, so it was me and the kids.

Very bold timing, but we survived.

I got the cutest photo of Arlo wearing a hat he put on himself.

Nola has honestly been a godsend this weekend. She has helped look after Arlo so much for me, which has made such a difference.

Usually Arlo doesn’t want much to do with me when Jason is around, but because Jason wasn’t home, apparently I became acceptable again.

I’ll take it.

Saturday was hot, so we went to the park, but we didn’t stay for too long because it was a bit much.

Arlo enjoyed rolling in the dirt, as toddlers do.

Fresh air, sunshine and a nice little dirt exfoliation.

Then Nola, Rocky and the neighbours made signs and sold lemons up the street.

They actually made quite a lot of money and had the best time.

Little entrepreneurs.

Very cute.

Saturday night, after Arlo went to bed, the kids and I all laid in bed together until their bedtime, which was honestly really nice.

Sunday was completely different weather.

Saturday was hot, and then Sunday was cold.

Canberra said, “pick a season,” and then picked all of them.

Sunday morning I weighed myself again, and I was 68kg.

So down from 71kg on Monday, but still up from where I was before surgery, and I am still very swollen.

Again, I am not recording it as real progress data.

This is just my body recovering, holding fluid and doing what it needs to do after a major procedure. I know that, but I also think it’s important to talk about because if this was someone else going through it, I would tell them the exact same thing.

Do not let temporary recovery weight mess with your head.

It is not fat gain.

It is not failure.

It is not your body going backwards.

It is healing.

Arlo spent part of the morning stealing my drink bottle because he loves everyone’s drink bottle except probably his own.

Classic toddler logic.

I washed my hair, got straight back into my pyjamas, and prepped dinner early for everyone.

Chicken schnitzel and mash.

Then I looked at the time and realised, oh shit, I haven’t done my blog yet.

So here we are.

This week was short, messy, swollen and very much a recovery week.

There weren’t many big updates, but honestly, that’s kind of the point.

I rested.

I accepted help.

I dealt with a surprise little blood clot situation.

I let Nola help more than usual.

I walked when I could.

I stayed mostly in bed.

And I reminded myself again that recovery is not a waste of time.

It’s the job.

Now for check-in.

Week: 18 Phase: CONTROL / recovery calories Nutrition adherence: 7/7 Weekly average steps: 10,009 Training: N/A

Average body weight change: Not recording due to surgery swelling and recovery inflammation

The things I’m most proud of this week are:

• Letting Mum help so much with school drop-offs and my Sydney appointment

• Getting through my post-op appointment and the drive to Sydney

• Still doing gentle steps each day without pushing too hard

• Getting my forearm checked instead of ignoring it

• Letting Nola help with Arlo while Jason was away

• Resting even when I wanted to do more

• Keeping the house and family ticking along with help from my village

• Not letting temporary recovery weight mess with my head too much
  

The areas I need to improve next week are:

• Keep prioritising recovery and not rushing

• Keep up gentle walking if it feels okay

• Stay on top of swelling, hydration and protein

• Keep accepting help

• Don’t turn “I feel a bit better” into “let’s do too much”

• Remember that boring recovery weeks still count

• Keep reminding myself that this is temporary
  

So that was Week 18.

A week of overnight Weet-Bix reviews, Arlo bed cuddles, Sydney post-op appointments, Lake George, highway camels, working from bed, fire-on recovery mornings, a cannula blood clot, ultrasound appointments, car washes, Jason away, Nola stepping up, park dirt, lemon stalls, stolen drink bottles, chicken schnitzel, surgery swelling and me remembering at the last minute that blogs do not write themselves.

Not exciting.

Not glamorous.

Very much recovery.

But in a few weeks, I’ll be back to normal. I’ll be able to train again. The swelling will settle. My body will feel more like mine again.

And this part will just be a distant memory.

For now, boring recovery still counts.